Carpet Cleaning Methods: 
Steam Cleaning Vs Hot Water Extraction Cleaning 

 

Dedicated homemakers and homeowners in Singapore know that carpets always add a cozy and elegant touch to any room or to an outdoor lounge.

But with more and more people having to stay and work at home most of the time, indoor carpets are used and abused every day. 

As for outdoor carpets, they are prone to become extremely dirty and ultimately, unhygienic as caused by the build-up of dirt and grime as well as mould that grow because of constant humidity and rain.

Everyone seems to be living a fast-paced life and cleaning carpets can easily be forgotten. However, most carpets do not come as cheap purchases and to maintain their lifespan, beauty and functionality, regular and proper cleaning methods need to be followed.

 

There are a few ways to keep carpets looking good as new and to maintain their softness and durability as long as possible.

However, bear in mind that the right way to clean carpets would depend on their materials and fibres.

Carpets that are made of natural fibres can suffer from shrinkage and water marks if they are exposed to too much water and harsh liquid cleaning solutions.

Normally, dry carpet shampoos or cleaning powders are used for carpets that are made from seagrass, coir and jute.

These materials may be very beautiful to the sight but they can be costly to maintain and to clean.

Currently, there are now synthetic or man-made materials that are used to make the most elegant and comfy carpets that can be washed in household laundry machines.

While this is time-saving way to clean smaller-sized carpets and removable rugs, it is not really a highly recommended method of cleaning carpets.

This is because a laundry wash is not enough to deep-clean carpets with tightly packed and very short fibres.

These kinds of carpets are very silky to the touch and lovely to sit on, but they can also have a lot of hidden and deeply embedded pieces of food, pests, dust, pollutants, dead skin cells and pollutants.

These organic compounds may cause your loved ones to suffer from allergic reactions and this is potentially dangerous for those with pre-existing conditions and respiratory problems.

 

When it comes to the office and business properties, wall-to-wall carpets are commonly used.

High-rise buildings and exclusive locations often and always have the best designs for their wall-to-wall carpets.

Nevertheless, constant foot traffic and even the wheels of bags and trolleys can easily cause carpets to look worn out and the colours to fade faster than normal.

More importantly, wall-to-wall carpets are breeding grounds for insects, dust mites and the dreaded viruses and germs which cause infectious diseases and allergies.

It is obvious that if your office space is heavily and pre-dominantly carpeted, it is not enough to have simple janitorial services to wash the carpets.

Thus, it is always best to seek the services of professional carpet cleaning company in Singapore if you need to get your carpets thoroughly cleaned.

 

Almost all carpet cleaning companies in Singapore can employ two major kinds of cleaning process for carpet cleaning services. One very efficient technique is to use a hot water extraction machine. 

This is the proposed cleaning method to wash and to disinfect wall-to-wall carpets. The system involves hot water to be shot out from the machine to the carpet.

Cleaning solutions are also used together with the water.

The power of the hot water being shot into the fibres of the carpet results in dust, grime and residue to be broken down and then dissolved together with the dirty water that is sucked back into the hot water extractor.

Hot water extraction as a method of carpet cleaning is also able to effectively eliminate mites, weevils and other pests that survive in dirty and damp carpets.

Stubborn stains from water-soluble liquids such as milk, fruit juices, and food scraps can at times be removed, if not, then their appearance will be diminished, by a hot water extraction carpet cleaning process.

Because of the term used for this cleaning method, many people believe that the drying time for hot water extraction to wash and clean carpets will take a long time.

With blowers, it only takes less than a day for wall-to-wall carpets to be completely dry after hot water extraction cleaning is done. 

Steam cleaning carpets follows the same method as when laundromats steam clean your clothes.

Water is heated up to very high temperatures until it transforms into vapor or steam. Because this process relies on steam, there is not much power and force to completely wash and rinse the dirtiest part of carpets.

Hard-to-remove stains will not be reduced just with steam cleaning carpets.

In addition, strong odours are not able to be eliminated with carpet steaming.

Certain particles from mud and oils are also very difficult to remove with just steaming carpets and as mentioned earlier, steaming may cause carpet fibres to shrink.

Just like the disclaimers for dry cleaners that use steaming to launder clothes, steam cleaning may seem like an easier process to clean carpets, but it is unable to fully dissolve debris and stain build-ups in carpets.

The drying time for steaming large sized and heavy carpets and wall-to-wall carpets can last anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.

One of the main differences versus hot water extraction is not just the drying time but also the fact that many carpet cleaning specialists swear by hot water extraction because it does not cause materials and fibres to shrink and there is little to no probability of non-removable water stains and mould development.

The hot water extraction machine is able to manage the right amount of water with the correct temperature to be released when washing a carpet.

The dirty water will then be pumped back into the machine so there is actually no water damage inflicted to the carpet and its fibres.

It is always helpful to remember that both steam cleaning and hot water extraction do not guarantee 100% odour and stain removal all the time.

As there are carpets that have already been severely damaged by flooding, permanent dye or ink spills and are already showing signs of being deteriorated over time due to massive mould and pest infestation.

So which carpet cleaning methods do Singaporeans prefer?

Yes. You have got it right, it is hot water extraction cleaning.

For hassle free carpet cleaning service, engage professional carpet cleaners for rug cleaning or office wall to wall carpet cleaning now!